The first installment of the YP Connection features VenuWorks Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Siehl, CFE. As a member of IAVM for more than 38 years, Siehl served as chairman of the Board of Directors from 2010-2011, been a long-standing faculty member at Venue Management School, and is the current chair for the Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS). Thank you to all the participants and to John for helping lead a lively and informative discussion.

Facebook claims that it is the world’s largest stadium because of its 650 million sports fans. And since those fans already use Facebook to comment on games, the company has built a dedicated place for sports so that you can feel like you’re watching the game with friends and other fans.

“With Facebook Sports Stadium, all the content on Facebook related to the game is in one place, and it comes in real time and appears chronologically,” wrote Steve Kafka, product manager for Facebook.

Users can see comments on plays from friends, posts from team and league experts, live scores and stats, and game info. Here are a couple of screenshots.

“You can follow the action as the game unfolds with a live play-by-play, and even like, comment on, and share individual plays,” Kafka wrote. “You can also get up to speed quickly with live scores and the most discussed plays. It’s a second-screen experience that we hope makes watching the broadcast even better.”

Facebook is focusing on American football games at the moment and will include other sports around the world soon. Also, it’s only available on iPhone in the U.S. at the moment. I’m sure they’ll get to Android, the world’s largest operating system, quickly.

Safety and security has emerged as a top focus at this year’s Performing Arts Managers Conference (PAMC) in San Antonio, March 7-9, with new opportunities for attendees to participate in dynamic learning experiences and expert-led discussions.

“Our goal is to provide an engaging, interactive experience at the Performing Arts Managers Conference. The 2016 program will include situational awareness, resources available to protect our public facility assemblies, and relevant expertise regarding critical infrastructure protection, mass casualty incidents, and staff preparedness during an event,” said Mark Herrera, IAVM’s director of education and a former tactical sergeant. “We’ve added a customized exercise that will enable participants to explore specific issues, consider the use of available, limited resources, and quickly develop action strategies to manage an unexpected incident involving a terrorist attack or hostility during an event. Through discussion and insight from experienced experts, attendees will gain an appreciation for the complexity of managing a critical incident and how to best prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from an incident such as the Paris attacks.”

Herrera, Harvey Perriott, and Justice Narvaez will facilitate the exercise and discussion.

Harvey Perriott is the protective security advisor (PSA) for the North Texas District of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has served in that role for more than seven years. Prior to joining the PSA program, he served as the staff director for the Office of Infrastructure Protection’s Protective Security Coordination Division (PCSD). With more than 25 years’ experience in Department of Defense Special Operations, Perriott has been involved either directly or indirectly in several military operations directed at counterterrorism activities. He has extensive experience in performing studies, analyzes, and evaluations in a wide variety of areas, including surveying, mission capability, force strategy, force structure options, and tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Robert “Justice” Narvaez has trained more than 2,500 U.S. law enforcement officers and more than 600 foreign militaries and federal forces. He was a vital member and former trainer for the Deployable Operations Group (D.O.G.) and led anti-terrorism missions including a specialized team in the Commissioning Court in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that oversaw movements of five terrorists responsible for the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He has trained with and in SWAT tactics for nine years. Throughout his military career, Narvaez has been awarded one Coast Guard Commendation Medal, four Coast Guard Achievement Medals, one Navy Joint Service Achievement Medal, and one Army Achievement Medal for his dedication, knowledge, and professionalism.

2015 VenueConnect interns.

2015 was a year that really fostered my development as a young professional in the entertainment and venue industry. I did two event internships, one in Sydney, Australia, for a company called Business Chicks and another through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. Fortunately, 2015 was also the year when I got involved with the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). Being a student in my senior year, it was hands down the best decision I made for my career and future in the industry.

I attended and interned at two conferences, VenueConnect in Baltimore, Maryland, and the International Convention Center Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The IAVM Foundation helped me fund these learning experiences and gave me the opportunity to network with industry leaders through the Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship + Internship Program. I made connections and developed relationships that were essential to my growth and success. The people of IAVM were not only supportive but eager to build up young leaders and were always there to lend a hand. Many doors have opened through being a student intern at these conferences. Additionally, the industry knowledge I attained through these conferences is astonishing. Being able to participate in discussions and attend cutting-edge sessions on current trends helped me understand the industry in a whole new light.

I have since graduated from Missouri State with an entertainment management degree and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career. With the help of the people I met through IAVM, I am more than ecstatic to say that I got a job as the events and talent coordinator at the Grand Ole Opry House. I owe a lot to the IAVM Foundation for helping me achieve my goals to be able to work with a company I admire so much doing exactly what I am most passionate about. I could easily say that I got my dream job, and I am so excited for what the future holds and send my greatest gratitude to this organization.

These are selected news articles that showed up in our inboxes on Monday morning that we want to pass along to you.

BOK New Safety Protocols Encourage Other Venues to Boost Security (KTUL.com)
“Madonna headlined the first big event of the year at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The concert is also the biggest event where the arena’s new security protocols were enforced.”

Rangers Extend Deal With XL Center (TheAHL.com)
“The New York Rangers today extended their contract with Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the providers of venue management to the XL Center, for the Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, to continue playing their home games at the XL Center through the 2016-17 season.”

CAA Premium Experience Forms Exclusive Partnership With iRENA, Expands Event Management and Corporate Hospitality Footprint in China (Business Wire)
“CAA Premium Experience, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and iRENA International, China’s preeminent sports hospitality and event management company, have formed an exclusive partnership to curate and fulfill completely customized once-in-a-lifetime VIP experiences, with a preliminary focus on basketball, tennis, entertainment, and fashion, for individuals and corporations in China.”

Tampa Bay Lightning Integrate Retail POS and Inventory Management with NCR Counterpoint Software (Business Wire)
“NCR software delivers purchasing, receiving, inventory control and credit card processing in single solution at Amalie Arena.”

Omaha City Council Approves First Step for Holland Center’s Expansion Downtown (KETV.com)
“The vote Tuesday doesn’t approve any bonds, a purchase agreement for the buildings, or any demolition permits. It adds Holland’s eventual expansion to a northeast downtown redevelopment plan.”

(Image: Facebook)